I'm the CEO of TiqIQ.com, which is the leading ticket search engine online. I started my professional career as a writer covering New York technology in 1996. I've been fascinated by the ticket market from a young age and remember trying to understand what drove the market in front of Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden. After working in eCommerce for much of my career, I decided to start a company dedicated to tracking those prices with the benefit of technology and helping consumers get the best possible deals.

Despite On And Off Field Improvements, Jaguars Tickets Still Amongst Lowest In NFL

The Jacksonville Jaguars have not made the playoffs since 2007. Since then, Jacksonville has finished .500 in a season just once. Entering the 2014 season, .500 is a stretch goal, but regardless of whether they get there, 2014 will unquestionably be the most exciting season in Jacksonville since Fred Taylor led them to a wild car win against the Steelers.

On the field, GM David Caldwell has been on a mission to turn around the franchise by signing notable free agents such as Toby Gerhart, Red Bryant and Dekoda Watson. Most draft analysts also gave the Jaguars an A grade for their 2014 draft class. Off the field, the Jaguars also made significant improvements to Everbank Field with the goal of making the stadium itself part of the attraction. Everbank field was built almost 20 years ago at a cost of $121 million, and had lost it’s new stadium luster over two decades. Last year, Jacksonville’s city council approved a $63 million renovation of the stadium. With just over two months until kick0ff, the team shared a glimpse of the results. Of note are private four-person tables available for $350 a seat as well as a 120-seat bar rail in the north end zone for $150 a seat. Both include all you can eat and drink. The most talked about addition, however, is the poolside cabanas with spa access, lounge furniture and TVs. The cabanas, which hold 50 people, are available for $12,500 per game and, like every other new feature, include all you can eat and drink. If you can round up 50 friends or colleagues that comes to a per-ticket price of $250. According to Chad Johnson, the team’s senior vice president of sales, 65 percent of the cabana seats have been sold. While the cabana option isn’t something to do for every game on the Jaguars schedule, it’s a unique option to have and certainly something for a special event. Fans who reserve the cabana can also come out to the the stadium for two hours before the game and stay for up to an hour after the game. For those that take the plunge, that means that they’ll be able to watch the early games on what is now the world’s largest video board. The video board will get it’s unveiling at the end of July for a country music concert, but in the meantime, you can check in on live progress here.

Photo from Jaguars.com

According to TiqIQ, the average price for Jaguars tickets this season is $161.02 on the secondary market, the third lowest average in the league behind the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. Only one home game, the Week 5 match-up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, has an average price above $200. Jacksonville will only play one primetime game in 2014, and it is their cheapest game of the season on the secondary market. For Week 16, the Jaguars will host the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football with a current average price of $108.40, or 32.7% below the season average. While many teams across the NFL see higher secondary market prices for games against division rivals, that isn’t the case for Jacksonville and the rest of the AFC South. While Jaguars vs Colts tickets in Week 3 are 10.4% above the season average, Week 14 against the Houston Texans is 28.3% below the season average.

With no dominant favorite in the AFC South, the divisional weakness could be one of the main reasons the Jaguars flirt with .500. After signing free agents such as Chris Clemons, Red Bryant and Ziggy Hood on defense and Zane Beadles and Toby Gerhart on offense, Jacksonville is in position to have the best core of players since 2007. While the Jaguars might not want to start selling playoff tickets just yet, there’s no question that the on-the-field product is much improved. Even if they don’t end up with a winning record, however, there’s likely enough to do and see at the new-and-improved Everbank Field to convince fans that it’s a trip worth taking.

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.